Stent

Abstract

A bioabsorable stent is disclosed. The stent is made of a polymer and/or non-polymer material and has an elongated body having a proximate end, a distal end, and at least one open channel formed on the exterior surface of the elongated body to provide fluid communication between the proximal end and the distal end. Also disclosed is a bioabsorable stent having an elongated center rod having a proximate end and a distal end and a plurality of leaflets extending outward from the center rod and forming channels between two neighboring leaflets to provide fluid communication between the proximal end and the distal end.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A stent comprising:
 an elongated body having a proximal end, a distal end, a central axis, and at least one open sinusoidally undulating channel helically and longitudinally wound around said central axis, wherein said undulating channel is formed on an exterior surface of said elongated body to provide fluid communication between said proximal end and said distal end, 
 wherein said elongated body is made from a non-polymer material selected from the group consisting of stainless steel, cobalt alloys, titanium alloys, tantalum, niobium, tungsten and molybdenum and wherein said elongated body further comprises a center lumen that is not in fluid communication with said undulating channel. 
 
     
     
       2. The stent of  claim 1 , wherein said elongated body comprises a plurality of sinusoidally undulating channels helically and longitudinally wound around said central axis, wherein said undulating channels are formed on the exterior surface of said elongated body. 
     
     
       3. The stent of  claim 1 , wherein said distal end and said proximal end have different diameters. 
     
     
       4. The stent of  claim 1 , wherein said elongated body has a sinusoidal shape. 
     
     
       5. The stent of  claim 1 , wherein said body further comprises an anchoring device. 
     
     
       6. The stent of  claim 1 , wherein said elongated body further comprises a biological agent. 
     
     
       7. The stent of  claim 6 , wherein said biological agent is selected from the group consisting of chemotherapeutic agents, antimicrobial agents and gene transfer agents. 
     
     
       8. The stent of  claim 1 , wherein said channel is formed by compressible channel walls that can be compressed against each other in a compressed state to reduce the diameter of said stent. 
     
     
       9. The stent of  claim 1 , wherein said stent has a pre-implantation diameter D pre  and is in situ expandable upon absorption of a body fluid to a post-implantation diameter D post  wherein D post  is greater than D pre . 
     
     
       10. A stent comprising:
 an elongated body having a proximal end, a distal end, at least one open sinusoidally undulating channel formed on an exterior surface of said elongated body to provide fluid communication between said proximal end and said distal end, and a center lumen that is not in fluid communication with said undulating channel, 
 wherein said elongated body is made from a combination of polymer and non-polymer material selected from the group consisting of stainless steel, cobalt alloys, titanium alloys, tantalum, niobium, tungsten and molybdenum.